President Donald Trump has said National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has no need to apologize for the alarming security breach in which he inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, to a Signal group chat about upcoming military action.
The administration has been under fire since it emerged on Monday that senior officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, reportedly discussed a highly-sensitive operation aimed at targeting Houthi positions in Yemen.
Hegseth called Goldberg a “deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist” but he too is facing calls to step down from Democrats, who have branded the scandal “a major screw-up.”
Two members of the group chat, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday and were extensively grilled on the breach.
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Key Points
- President Trump sits down for Newsmax interview
- Trump administration accused of staggering security breach after journalist included in war planning group chat
- Top Democrat calls for Hegseth and Waltz to resign and shreds Gabbard over Signal war talk leak
- President says he still has confidence in Mike Waltz over Signal blunder
Citing ‘state secrets’, Trump admin refuses to answer judge’s questions over deportation flights
03:30
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Oliver O'Connell
Donald Trump’s administration is refusing to answer any questions from a federal judge about deportation flights to El Salvador’s notorious prison under the president’s use of the Alien Enemies Act.
Judge James Boasberg had ordered government attorneys to answer a series of questions — including when those planes left the United States and entered El Salvador — to determine whether administration officials intentionally defied his court orders, which were delivered in court and in filings hours before the planes landed March 15.
For more than a week, the judge has pushed the administration for answers and extended deadlines for a response.
But in a late-night filing Monday, Trump administration officials and government lawyers said “no further information will be provided”.
Alex Woodward explains what is happening.
ICYMI: CNN airs brutal montage of Trump officials from Signal chat condemning Hillary Clinton
02:45
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Oliver O'Connell
CNN aired a montage of Trump administration officials embroiled in the Signal chat saga repeatedly condemning former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server while in office.
James Liddell has the story.
Federal workers describe dire conditions as they return to office
02:30
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Oliver O'Connell
Federal workers who have been summoned back into their offices five days per week are being met with less-than-desirable conditions, from cramped workspaces to dirty bathrooms, as the Trump administration seeks to cut costs by reducing space and staff, according to reports.
Following orders from President Donald Trump, government employees are returning to their offices full-time – all while the administration seeks to axe some of its real estate portfolio to reduce government spending.
Ariana Baio reports.
Watch: Trump shifts blame for Signalgate texts onto mystery 'lower level' employee
02:10
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Mike Bedigan
Full story: Trump shifts blame for Signalgate texts onto mystery ‘lower level’ employee
01:55
,
Mike Bedigan
Donald Trump has shifted the blame for a blunder in which details of U.S. military operations in Yemen were leaked to a journalist on a secret group chat to a “lower level” White House employee that worked for his national security advisor Michael Waltz.
In an interview with Newsmax, which aired on Tuesday evening, Trump offered a theory on how Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, had ended up on a Signal group chat in which the top-secret plans were discussed.
Read the full story here:
Trump says 'billionaires on the left' partly to blame for violence against Tesla
01:18
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Mike Bedigan
Speaking to Newsmax, Donald Trump said that it was possible that part of the responsibility for destruction and vandalizing of Tesla vehicles lay with “billionaires on the left.”
“The Tesla violence. Have you heard anything about billionaires on the left, whether it's Soros or somebody else. Have you heard anything about planning, coordination, funding for these attacks?” asked Newsmax host Greg Kelly.
Trump replied: “I believe that that is part of it, yeah. There are some of them that were involved with my trials that were, I think, probably involved with that also.”
Trump offers theory on how The Atlantic ended up on Signal group chat
01:11
,
Mike Bedigan
In an interview with Newsmax, which aired on Tuesday, Donald Trump offered a theory on how journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, had ended up on a Signal group chat in which U.S. military plans were discussed.
The president called Goldberg “a loser” and said the his publication, The Atlantic, was “failing.”
“It's a terrible magazine. They made up all sorts of stories about me with with standing over the grave of soldiers,” he said, referring to a prior piece published by the outlet.
“But Goldberg's a loser. His magazine's a big loser. And what it was, we believe, is somebody that was on the line with permission, somebody that was with Mike Waltz, worked for Mike waltz at a lower level, had, I guess, Goldberg's number or called through the app, and somehow this guy ended up on the call.”
Democrats and Republicans calling for action in the wake of Signal text leak
01:00
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Oliver O'Connell
Both Democrats and Republicans are calling for action after The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat as Trump administration officials hashed out secret war plans for an impending U.S. strike in Yemen.
James Liddell reports.
Is Jeffrey Goldberg legally allowed to release the Signal messages he received?
00:30
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Oliver O'Connell
Editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, released excerpts of the conversation among national security officials on the messaging app Signal after he was accidentally added to the group chat — exercising a right to publish that has sparked controversy among Trump administration officials.
Where does the law stand on this?
Ariana Baio explains.
Jimmy Kimmel shreds Trump admin's ‘bunch of doofs’ over Signal leak
00:15
,
Oliver O'Connell
Jimmy Kimmel shredded Trump administration officials involved in the Signal leak after inadvertently giving a journalist a front-row seat as they hashed out secret war plans for an impending U.S. strike in Yemen.
James Liddell reports.
Trump to sit down for Newsmax interview
00:01
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Mike Bedigan
Donald Trump’s interview with Greg Kelly from Newsmax is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. eastern.
It comes after the president said Mike Waltz, his national security adviser, has no need to apologize for the alarming security breach in which he inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, to a Signal group chat about upcoming military action.
Waltz takes 'full responsibility' for Yemen plan leak
Tuesday 25 March 2025 23:55
,
Mike Bedigan
Michael Waltz has said he takes “full responsibility” for the leaking of the Yemen military plan with a journalist from The Atlantic and and says the White House is moving forward.
Ingraham: But you’ve never talked to him so how is his number on your phone? pic.twitter.com/uVlf5d3rJ8
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 25, 2025
Jasmine Crockett under fire for mocking Texas governor’s wheelchair
Tuesday 25 March 2025 23:40
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Oliver O'Connell
Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett is facing sharp criticism from Republicans after she mocked Governor Greg Abbott over his wheelchair use.
Crockett has often been praised by progressives for her confrontational stance against conservatives and the Trump administration.
Gustaf Kilander and Graig Graziosi have the story.
Has the Signal chat leak exposed a big legal problem for Trump administration?
Tuesday 25 March 2025 23:20
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Oliver O'Connell
The stunning revelation that The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief was inadvertently added to a group chat detailing recent airstrikes in Yemen has called into question the U.S. government’s ability to safeguard sensitive information and has exposed a potentially big legal problem.
Here’s Rhian Lubin to explain.
EDITORIAL: We should not underestimate the historic threat Donald Trump represents – to his country, to the West and to a free press
Tuesday 25 March 2025 23:00
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Oliver O'Connell
The United States is fortunate indeed that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic magazine – and the surprise beneficiary of a leak of sensitive military plans – is a man of sound judgement. Had he not been, and had recklessly made public the top-secret details of US attacks on Houthi rebels, then the consequences would have been serious and possibly even fatal for US service personnel.
The irony is that the great care taken by Mr Goldberg when he inadvertently learnt the operational details stands in stark and shaming contrast to reckless blunders made by various senior members of the Trump administration.
Continue reading...
Melania Trump’s wedding dress is ‘up for auction’
Tuesday 25 March 2025 22:40
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Oliver O'Connell
Melania Trump’s 2005 wedding dress is supposedly up for auction for less than half of what it originally cost her — and it looks completely different.
The gown — worn by the First Lady of the United States to marry Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, 20 years ago — weighed exactly 60 pounds and cost $100,000, according to Page Six.
Kaleigh Werner has the story.
Will Pete Hegseth be Trump's scapegoat as president looks to move on from debacle?
Tuesday 25 March 2025 22:20
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Oliver O'Connell
John Bowden writes:
Donald Trump’s irritation over the wall-to-wall coverage of a shocking breach of security at his administration’s highest levels was apparent on Tuesday, as was his desire to push past the narrative.
Congress, under unified Republican control, could do little to help him.
Continue reading...
FBI launches Tesla threats task force to target ‘domestic terrorism’
Tuesday 25 March 2025 22:00
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Oliver O'Connell
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed reports that a task force dedicated to investigating the spate of attacks against Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company, Tesla, has been established with the former prosecutor promising to root out “domestic terrorism.”
According to NBC News, at least 80 attacks have been reported against Tesla vehicles since Musk began gutting the federal government through his Department of Government Efficiency in January.
James Liddell reports.
‘You’ve got to give me something’: Judge skeptical over Trump policy ending non-binary passports
Tuesday 25 March 2025 21:40
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Oliver O'Connell
A federal judge on Tuesday appeared skeptical that the Trump administration had solid evidence to support its decision to stop issuing passports with a non-binary ‘X’ sex marker.
“You’ve got to give me something, or else I’ll assume there’s nothing,” Massachusetts federal Judge Julia Kobick reportedly said in court in a hearing for a lawsuit challenging the policy, according to Bloomberg Law.
Josh Marcus reports.
Jeffries writes to Trump calling for Hegseth to be fired
Tuesday 25 March 2025 21:29
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Oliver O'Connell
New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Leader in the House of Representatives, has written to President Donald Trump calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to be “fired immediately” for his role in the Signalgate group chat debacle.
NEW: Jeffries, in a letter to Trump, calls for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to be "fired immediately" for the Atlantic Signal chat incident. pic.twitter.com/TEBqAIlC3h
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) March 25, 2025
Florida wants to loosen child-labor laws to make up for loss of migrant workers
Tuesday 25 March 2025 21:25
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Oliver O'Connell
Florida is looking at the possibility of loosening some child labor laws to replace undocumented workers.
The state has been penalizing employers hiring undocumented workers, leading to businesses struggling to fill jobs that are often paid poorly and viewed as undesirable.
Both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Republican-led legislature are now looking at children as a possible solution to the issue, according to CNN.
Gustaf Kilander reports.
The Signal chat blunder has shaken Washington. Except in the White House where it’s brushed off
Tuesday 25 March 2025 21:10
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Oliver O'Connell
One day after the revelation of a shocking security breach from top Trump administration officials, the White House is digging in and hoping it can convince Americans to dismiss the unprecedented lapse as media-driven partisan squabbling even as Democrats are calling for resignations.
Eric Garcia, on Capitol Hill, and Andrew Feinberg, at the White House, report.
Russia and Ukraine agree to Black Sea ceasefire
Tuesday 25 March 2025 21:00
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Oliver O'Connell
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea, the White House has said, following an intense round of negotiations in Saudi Arabia as Donald Trump pushes for a full peace deal to end Vladimir Putin’s three-year invasion.
A US delegation has engaged in separate talks with officials from Moscow and Kyiv since Sunday. Two meetings with the Ukrainians came either side of a marathon 12-hour discussion with Moscow on Monday, described as “challenging” but “useful” by a member of Russia’s delegation.
Kyiv and Moscow both agreed to “ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea”, the White House announced on Tuesday.
Alex Croft reports.
What's on the Vances' schedule in Greenland?
Tuesday 25 March 2025 20:50
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Oliver O'Connell
With both Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance visiting Greenland this week (much to the consternation of the local population), you might be wondering what they are going to do when they get there.
Well, it’s definitely a step up from when Donald Trump Jr visited the Danish territory and had lunch with people who were allegedly rounded up from the streets.
Per the White House:
On Friday, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance will travel to the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland to receive a briefing on Arctic security issues and meet with U.S. servicemembers. Pituffik Space Base is the Department of Defense’s northernmost installation. The Base, which is operated by the United States Space Force’s 821st Space Base Group, supports missile warning, missile defense, and space surveillance missions.
The strategic partnership between the United States and Greenland has long played a vital role in our national and economic security. During World War Two, the United States established over a dozen military bases in Greenland to defend the North Atlantic from Nazi incursion. During the Cold War, the United States committed additional resources to Greenland to defend against Soviet missile attacks. In the decades since, neglect and inaction from Danish leaders and past U.S. administrations have presented our adversaries with the opportunity to advance their own priorities in Greenland and the Arctic. President Trump is rightly changing course.
The Vice President and Second Lady’s visit to Pituffik Space Base will take place in lieu of the Second Lady’s previously announced visit to the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race in Sisimiut.
Trump discusses Gaza ceasefire efforts with UAE president
Tuesday 25 March 2025 20:45
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Reuters
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Donald Trump discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza in a phone call, Emirati state news agency WAM reported on Tuesday, as Israel resumed its military offensive in the enclave last week.
Profile: Mike Waltz — Trump's under fire national security adviser
Tuesday 25 March 2025 20:40
,
Katie Hawkinson
President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has found himself in the middle of a political firestorm after mistakenly adding The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief to a group chat about U.S. plans to strike Yemen on the encrypted messaging app Signal.
Now, Trump and certain media outlets are defending Waltz, while Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth denied the legitimacy of the leaks, despite the administration confirming their validity.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are calling for Waltz to step down, while several top Trump administration officials were blasted over the leak during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday morning.
Here’s what you need to know about Waltz:
University professor lawsuit claims Trump administration deporting pro-Palestine activists creates ‘climate of repression and fear’
Tuesday 25 March 2025 20:20
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Oliver O'Connell
University professors sued a host of federal officials on Tuesday, alleging that the Trump administration is violating the First Amendment and creating a “climate of fear and repression” on campus by seeking to deport pro-Palestinian activists.
“The Trump administration is going after international scholars and students who speak their minds about Palestine, but make no mistake: they won't stop there,” reads a statement from Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, one of the groups that brought the suit.
Josh Marcus reports from San Francisco.
Trump adviser Mike Waltz says he 'never communicated' with Atlantic editor
Tuesday 25 March 2025 20:12
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Oliver O'Connell
...which doesn’t exactly match with what Jeffrey Goldberg wrote about being invited into the group chat by him.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz says he “never communicated” with The Atlantic‘s Jeffery Goldberg.
— The Recount (@therecount) March 25, 2025
According to Goldberg, a user identified as Waltz invited him to the Signal chat in which Waltz and other Trump officials discussed impending strikes on Yemen. pic.twitter.com/tVfz7ByxUw
Watch: Trump dodges question on classified information
Tuesday 25 March 2025 20:05
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Oliver O'Connell
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked President Donald Trump who told him there was no classified information in the Signal group chat amongst senior officials in his administration after he said there was not without explaining how he knew that.
He did not answer and asked for another question.
President Trump declines to answer when I asked who told him there was no classified information in the group chat about strike plans on Yemen. “Another question, please.” pic.twitter.com/mGEZIT3cDv
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) March 25, 2025
Trump hotel in Las Vegas faces lawsuit after death of woman allegedly thrown from revolving door
Tuesday 25 March 2025 20:00
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Oliver O'Connell
Trump International Hotels is being sued in a wrongful death lawsuit after a woman was ejected from a revolving door at the Las Vegas location and later died from her injuries.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in the Clark County District Courts, Diana Truschke, 78, was injured on March 21, 2023, while visiting the Trump property in Nevada.
Graig Graziosi reports.
Vance to accompany second lady on controversial Greenland trip
Tuesday 25 March 2025 19:47
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Oliver O'Connell
Looking forward to visiting Greenland on Friday! pic.twitter.com/p3HslD3hhP
— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 25, 2025
Vice President JD Vance will now accompany Second Lady Usha Vance on her trip to Greenland later this week.
The planned visit by a senior delegation from the Trump administration, which also includes national security adviser, Mike Waltz, has sparked anger in the Danish territory given President Donald Trump’s wish to take it over.
Here’s Rhian Lubin
